Admissions Policies

Requirements

Applicants MUST fulfill the following two requirements:
1. University Entrance Eligibility and 2. English Language Proficiency

1. University Entrance Eligibility

Applicants must meet one of the following criteria before their enrollment date* at Ritsumeikan University.
Applicants admitted into the University in the prospect of satisfying one of the requirements below should fulfill the requirement before the enrollment date; otherwise, the offer of admission will be revoked.
* Enrollment date: April 1 for April enrollment / September 26 for September enrollment.

A.	Have completed a standard 12-year course curriculum, or an equivalent curriculum as designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
B.	Have completed a 12-year course curriculum at an international school accredited by an international accrediting organization (WASC, NEASC, Cognia, CIS or ACSI)
C.	Have completed a 12-year course curriculum at a school for international students in Japan accredited by MEXT to be equivalent to a high school outside of Japan
D.	Possess a qualification of the International Baccalaureate Diploma, Abitur, Baccalaureate, or GCE A-Level
E.	Have completed a standard 11-year education in one of the designated curriculums of countries specified by MEXT e.g., Belarus, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Peru, Russia, Sudan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
F.	Have completed school education in a country where the curriculum is shorter than 12 years and have completed a Japanese pre-university preparatory course accredited by MEXT
G.	Have passed an exam demonstrating equivalent academic ability to completion of a standard 12-year course curriculum outside Japan and have reached 18 years of age e.g.,General Educational Development (GED)
H.	Have passed the High School Equivalency Exam (高等学校卒業程度認定試験 ) / the University Entrance Qualification Exam (大学入学資格検定 ) provided by MEXT in Japan and have reached 18 years of age
I.	Have been recognized, through an individual screening review by Ritsumeikan University, as having an academic ability equivalent to or greater than that of a person who has completed high school, from their academic background and other qualifications and have reached 18 years of age *The University recognizes applicants who graduate from Korean senior schools (朝鮮高級学校 Chosen Kokyu Gakko) as having met this requirement.

NOTE

• Applicants who have completed a standard 12-year curriculum in less than 12 years with appropriate reasons, such as grade skipping or early graduation, will be regarded as having met the requirement.
• The following do not meet JD Program application eligibility requirements:
  -Criteria F and H.
  -Completion of an upper secondary course in a specialized training college (専修学校の高等課程).

Inquiry regarding eligibility

Applicants who wish to apply and are unsure if they meet the eligibility requirement, or those who wish to apply under "Criteria I." must contact the International Admissions Office three weeks prior to the start date of the application period.
Visit HERE to place an inquiry.

2. English Language Proficiency

English Test Score

In order to demonstrate sufficient English ability, applicants must take one of the tests listed below and achieve the minimum score indicated below.

The English tests must have been taken within the two-year period before the last date of the application period that the applicant applies in and the test score must be available during the application period.

• The University does not accept the TOEFL iBT® Home Edition or the TOEFL® Essentials™ Test.
• The University only accepts TOEFL iBT® scores from a single test date, not MyBest® scores.
• The University does not accept IELTS Online or IELTS Indicator.
• IELTS One Skill Retake is not acceptable.
• The University does not accept institutional tests such as the TOEIC® IP Test.
GLA

Please note that the following is a summary of the ANU Policy: English language admission requirements and post-admission support. Please refer to the complete policy to check the minimum scores of each English language test. For information on the valid period of the English Language Test scores for GLA, Ritsumeikan University applicants must comply with the rules as stated in the Ritsumeikan University Application Handbook rather than the ANU Policy.

TOEFL iBT®Test	80 with 20 in R&W (Reading and Writing), 18 in S&L (Speaking and Listening)
IELTS Academic Module	6.5 with 6.0 in each component
PTE Academic	64 with 55 in each of the communicative skills
Cambridge C1 Advanced	176 with 169 in all sub-skills

JD Program

TOEFL iBT®Test	85 with 20 in each section
IELTS Academic Module	6.5 with 6.0 in each component
PTE Academic	60
Cambridge B2 First	176 with 169 in all sub-skills
Cambridge C1 Advanced	176 with 169 in all sub-skills
Cambridge C2 Proficiency	176 with 169 in all sub-skills
SAT Reading Test sub-score	30
ACT English Score	25
Duolingo English Test	120 with 110 in each sub-score

GS Major

TOEFL iBT®Test	76
IELTS Academic Module	6.0
Duolingo English Test	100

CRPS Major

TOEFL iBT®Test	71
IELTS Academic Module	5.5
TOEIC®L&R Test	730
Duolingo English Test	95

ISSE Course

TOEFL iBT®Test	71
IELTS Academic Module	5.5
TOEIC®L&R Test	730
Duolingo English Test	95




Score Waiver

Submission of English test scores listed above is not required of applicants who meet the waiver criteria stated below. For details on documents to be submitted instead of the English test scores, please consult the Application Handbook, "7.(3) Submission of Application Documents".

GLA

Applicants who meet the requirements specified in the Australian National University (ANU) Policy: English language admission requirements and post-admission support.

Regarding ANU Policy

• Applicants must meet the requirements listed under “Admission to Undergraduate Programs”.
• Applicants who will obtain the IB Diploma (taught and assessed entirely in English) after the application deadline will meet the English language requirement by submitting the IB Predicted Grades and English Language Test Score Waiver Request Form during the application period. In this case, applicants must present the original IB Diploma after acceptance to the University. If the applicant does not acquire the Diploma, the offer of admission will be revoked.
• For secondary qualifications that require achievement of specified levels, applicants must be able to present their final results/grades by the end of each application period.

JD Program

Applicants with educational backgrounds as stated in a. or b. below.


1. Four years of study (grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 or equivalent) in U.S. regionally-accredited or IB, CXC or UK curricula (inside or outside the U.S.), where English is the only medium of instruction AND no ESL courses have been taken.
2. Four years of study (grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 or equivalent) in selected English-speaking countries or in the educational systems of these countries (regardless of location) where English is the only medium of instruction AND no ESL courses have been taken.

English-speaking countries include:
U.S., UK and Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Canada (except Quebec), Singapore, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and these countries in the Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands)

GS Major, CRPS Major, and ISSE Course

Applicants whose most recent 6 years of formal education before the enrollment date were conducted and instructed only in English.